Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 4:55 am

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 4:51 am Caught a really good game tonight from '96, the Packers going into the Metrodome to play the Vikings. Both teams were 3-0, the Vikings take Green Bay down to give them their first defeat of the season. Green Bay led 21-17 going into the 4th quarter where the Vikings pulled away to win it 30-21. Moon had some great throws in this game and the Vikings sacked Favre 7 times. I didn't realize the Vikings got off to a 4-0 start. To me they feel like a team like the Lions and Falcons where they just fell off from 95(even though they missed the playoffs in 95 to me that team felt like a better team than the team that made the playoffs in 96, I know that sounds crazy).

The 96 team was lucky Washington collapsed just as the 95 team was unlucky with Atlanta

You beat me to it. I remember the Redskins being eliminated from the playoff contention by a last second field goal vs Arizona, I'm assuming that loss gave the Vikings the spot with better conference record.

I also always assumed they benched Moon during the course of that season due to him struggling but watching some of their games it appears he had a lot of injuries that year(he turned 40 during this season). I think the Vikings figured he was done, but he went on to have a very solid season in 97 with the Seahawks probably a better season than whoever was playing QB in Minny in 97.

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 4:57 am The 96 Vikings collapse may very well be an underrated one, I never really heard it mentioned but they started 4-0 and were 5-1 at one point with wins over Green Bay and Carolina, then finished 4-6 to barely make the wild card spot at 9-7 where they got hammered vs Dallas in the first round. I think this Vikings team was lucky to have even made the playoffs and perhaps falls into the category of a team that didn't belong in them.

Ironically they benefitted from a greater collapse- Washington started 7-1 and won ONCE after October

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 5:00 am

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 4:55 am

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Mon Jul 06, 2026 4:51 am Caught a really good game tonight from '96, the Packers going into the Metrodome to play the Vikings. Both teams were 3-0, the Vikings take Green Bay down to give them their first defeat of the season. Green Bay led 21-17 going into the 4th quarter where the Vikings pulled away to win it 30-21. Moon had some great throws in this game and the Vikings sacked Favre 7 times. I didn't realize the Vikings got off to a 4-0 start. To me they feel like a team like the Lions and Falcons where they just fell off from 95(even though they missed the playoffs in 95 to me that team felt like a better team than the team that made the playoffs in 96, I know that sounds crazy).

The 96 team was lucky Washington collapsed just as the 95 team was unlucky with Atlanta

You beat me to it. I remember the Redskins being eliminated from the playoff contention by a last second field goal vs Arizona, I'm assuming that loss gave the Vikings the spot with better conference record.

Arizona basically was the difference- swept Washington, rolled over and played dead for MIN.

Seriously if they just win one of those Cardinal games, the Vikings/Packers week 17 rematch at Lambeau Field is do or die for MIN

The 1996 Jets were maybe the best 1-15 team I've seen. They should've ended up around 4-12 or 5-11...but they were "coached" by Rich Kotite who had pretty much quit on the team and would leave practice early to beat traffic. The following season they were a hard luck 9-7 that should've been in the playoffs (and their coaching staff went from worst in football to one of the best)

I remember week 1 they got absolutely annihilated by Denver, and many Jets players were gasping for air very early in the game...their conditioning and preparation was virtually nonexistent

if you look at their statistics that year offensively...they threw for almost 4,000 yards as a team. O'Donnell missed a lot of time with injuries and it was an immense struggle for him and a huge shock to his system. There was one instance where he rehabbed back from an injury and was named starter. While warming up before the game he slipped and fell...looked harmless, but it turns out he tore a calf muscle and was done for the year. It was tough for him as he struggled to understand how the change from Steelers to Jets uniforms meant you are no longer protected from a degree of unlucky misfortunes and bad breaks that do not hover over other franchises.

Adrian Murrell rushed for 1,250 yards. They actually had a legitimate great receiving corps with Wayne Chrebet, Keyshawn Johnson, Jeff Graham and Webster Slaughter as the #4. Graham would've gone over 1,000 yards had he not missed some time with an injury. They also had the talented up and coming Richie Anderson who would begin to establish himself as a good receiver out of the backfield

7DnBrnc53 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 8:48 am The NFC wasn't very strong. They played in a shaky division where the second-best team (Vikings) finished 9-7 (and got blown out in the Wild Card round in Dallas) and the three other teams missed the playoffs. Their best competition was a vastly overrated 49er team (that should have been 8-8) and a one-hit wonder Panther team, and they still couldn't compete in Dallas on a Monday Night (despite the Cowboys taking a step or two back).

The NFC literally won every Super Bowl in my entire lifetime up to that year. And Steve Young and Troy Aikman were still starting for their teams. Only two teams made the playoffs from their division? With 40% of teams making the playoffs, that's right on target with what should be expect from their division. "Vastly overrated" is very subjective. As Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are.

Now, was this the hardest year to win a Super Bowl? No way. The Cowboys and 49ers were past their primes. The AFC was a joke as usual. The Packers only winning by 14 was a big disappointment, even if that was the spread. So, there are other reasons you can argue against them, but to say it's because of the weakness of the NFC is inaccurate.

Sorry if anyone's a Cowboys fan out there, but I have to say it: the Cowboys probably win this Super Bowl if Jimmy Johnson had never been forced out by Jerry. What might have been in Big D.

Crazy Packers Fan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:55 pm

7DnBrnc53 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 8:48 am The NFC wasn't very strong. They played in a shaky division where the second-best team (Vikings) finished 9-7 (and got blown out in the Wild Card round in Dallas) and the three other teams missed the playoffs. Their best competition was a vastly overrated 49er team (that should have been 8-8) and a one-hit wonder Panther team, and they still couldn't compete in Dallas on a Monday Night (despite the Cowboys taking a step or two back).

The NFC literally won every Super Bowl in my entire lifetime up to that year. And Steve Young and Troy Aikman were still starting for their teams. Only two teams made the playoffs from their division? With 40% of teams making the playoffs, that's right on target with what should be expect from their division. "Vastly overrated" is very subjective. As Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are.

Now, was this the hardest year to win a Super Bowl? No way. The Cowboys and 49ers were past their primes. The AFC was a joke as usual. The Packers only winning by 14 was a big disappointment, even if that was the spread. So, there are other reasons you can argue against them, but to say it's because of the weakness of the NFC is inaccurate.

I actually think the AFC was stronger before and after 1996. ‘96 though, yeah not a great year for the conference

How do we explain or make sense of Washington's 7-1 start? It's crazy watching the games on Youtube when they show standings they were 1st place in the NFC East for most of the year.

Watching the Packers at Cowboys game now and Dallas defense just manhandling the Green Bay offense, Dallas o-line just monstrous. They definitely still had the talent here to win another Super Bowl seeing them dominate the Packers in the first half of this game. What was missing/happened?

Crazy Packers Fan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:55 pm
Sorry if anyone's a Cowboys fan out there, but I have to say it: the Cowboys probably win this Super Bowl if Jimmy Johnson had never been forced out by Jerry. What might have been in Big D.

I think you are on to something. Watching them in this game against Green Bay they definitely look like the best team in the NFL in 1996, even though they are having trouble getting into the end zone(all field goals). I've always said if Jimmy Johnson would have stayed either 1 of 2 things happen; either 1). Dallas becomes the first team to threepeat by winning the Super Bowl in 94, or if they still fall short to SF in the NFCCG 2). Dallas has their best season in 95 like a 15-1 type of season en route to winning 3 out of 4 like they did in real life. Watching this Packers win from 96 season got to believe they could have potentially won 4 out of 5 for sure without the coaching change.

ShinobiMusashi wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2026 12:07 pm How do we explain or make sense of Washington's 7-1 start? It's crazy watching the games on Youtube when they show standings they were 1st place in the NFC East for most of the year.

Watching the Packers at Cowboys game now and Dallas defense just manhandling the Green Bay offense, Dallas o-line just monstrous. They definitely still had the talent here to win another Super Bowl seeing them dominate the Packers in the first half of this game. What was missing/happened?

Washington, they beat New England and Indy (plus a win at Philly) so it’s not like they didn’t beat anybody good.

I think it all boils down to their strange inability to beat Arizona (who basically rolled over for the Cowboys)

The Cowboys basically should have sent the Cardinals a fruit basket. Heck If THEY don’t beat Philly in late November, the Eagles win the NFCE

1996 just felt like one of those seasons that could have been better.

Washington missing the playoffs didn’t help and instead we got an undeserving Minnesota team

If Arizona doesn’t beat Philly on 11/24, we would have had the spectacle of a Cowboys/49ers WC game and Philly IMO deserved to win the East more than the Cardinals basically giftwrapping it for Dallas

If Indy doesn’t blow their finale at Cincinnati, that completely changes the AFC WC Games as it would be Bills/Colts and Jags/Steelers

SF having an off years by their standards

Some of the interesting teams of prior years falling off hard like ATL, DET, CHI

The two expansion teams having immediate success just rubbed me the wrong way. Carolina bought a team and Jacksonville was one of the luckiest teams in NFL history

The AFC….. honestly, it was better in 93 and 94 than in 96

Patriots/Packers was honestly the best possible outcome all things considered